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How to Check a Warped Wing on an RC Airplane

Radio controlled airplanes, glider or engine-powered, use the same principles of flight as their real-life counterparts. Lift takes the airplane up and into the air, breaking out of ground effect and soaring into the blue. If you have an RC airplane with a warped wing, the airplane does not fly properly and may end up crashing to earth, resulting in the loss of the airplane. Like real-life airplanes, RC aircraft require a set of preflight checks to ensure smooth flying and safe operation. Be sure to include wing checks in every preflight sequence with your RC airplanes.

Instructions

- 1
  Run your finger along the edge of the wings. Feel for any wrinkles in the fabric or dents and dips along the surface edge of the wings. These are minor warps but are still enough to affect the performance of the plane.
- 2
  Set the aircraft on a flat bench or surface and get down to wing level. Look straight ahead at the wing from the front and back. Check that the wings, left and right, are on an equal angle (if yours uses dihedral angles). If you have flat wings, be sure the line running from one tip to the other, going across the fuselage, is even and without bends.
- 3
  Turn the airplane upside down and check the concave surface of the wing's underside. Dips or bends on the fabric or foam on the wing's underside indicate warp. Check where the wings connect to the fuselage for wrinkles, indicating that the wing is bent and warped.
- 4
  Inspect the tail wings. This area is known as the empennage and is equally important for lift and performance. Check both sides of the tail for wrinkles, dips or bends. Check the vertical wing on the empennage to ensure smooth flying.

Aviation